Objective:
Quantify GxE interaction in diverse corn germplasm grown throughout the U.S. and southern Canada.

Approach:
Approximately 1000 hybrids are being grown across 24 environments (250 hybrids per environment). ARS is participating 7 locations in Iowa, Georgia, North Carolina, and New York. Data will be collated and analyzed by cooperating scientists in the Maize breeding community. Outcomes include quantification of GxE interaction for corn hybrids and for individual marker alleles. Results will be used to design future phenomics research to understand the genetic basis of maize phenotype and interaction with environment as part of the Maize Community Genomes to Fields Effort. These efforts are aligned closely with ARS efforts in genotyping by sequencing, Big Data, and genotype by environment interaction.